Allen Park — The pre-draft process hasn't been particularly kind to Kayvon Thibodeaux. The Oregon edge rusher, long presumed to be the No. 1 pick this year, has seen his on-field performance and football character nitpicked the past few months, while many national analysts have projected him coming off the board closer to pick No. 10 than first overall.
But the reality is Thibodeaux remains very much in the conversation at the top of the draft, with the Detroit Lions putting extensive time into evaluating the defender and holding the No. 2 selection.
Not only did the Lions met with Thibodeaux at the scouting combine, but sent a contingent led by general manager Brad Holmes to Oregon's pro day, all prior to planning to host Thibodeaux for a top-30 visit at the team's headquarters in Allen Park next week.